On their Case
by ROXY1830
Summary: Ty and Alex, two girls with backgrounds connecting them to NCIS, are in DC when they witness a body drop of a dead Naval officer, They are taken into protective custody and our favorite team is in charge of them, this is their story.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this doesn't really refer to an episode, just putting the Team in a situation...first NCIS fic, critics welcome, enjoy...also I do not own NCIS...If anyone's selling I'm offering nothing for it.**

"D.C., is a beautiful city, yes?" Alex asked Ty, looking around at the monuments.

"Yeah, it is. Too bad we didn't come during the Cherry Blossom Festival," Ty remarked.

"Cherry blossom, like having to do with the tree?" Alex inquired.

"Uh, I think so. Yeah," Ty decided.

"Hey, what is that?" Alex pointed in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial.

"The Lincoln Memorial? Or the car? That's driving really, really fast?" Ty asked, frowning.

"The car." Alex and Ty watched as someone or thing was dumped from the car, which never stopped or slowed.

"You got the plate number?" Ty asked, squinting.

"Romeo Alph Zulu." Alex nodded.

"Just checking. Let's go take a look around," Ty suggested, breaking into a lope in the direction of the thing.

"It is a good thing we left the group back at the hotel, yes?" Alex jogged after her.

"Real good," Ty grinned. Then she saw the thing. "Oh, shit..."

"He is in a Navy uniform." Alex noticed.

"Okay, this technically isn't FBI jurisdiction, but..." Ty muttered as she punched in her dad's number. "Find what you can, but don't touch!" she called over her shoulder, covering the phone with her hand.

"Aye-aye, sir!" Alex mock saluted. "I see what may be an I.D. card of sorts, no tire tracks. The car was a black Ford SUV. Oh, there is his hat!" Alex pointed to a white hat about three yards away. "Otherwise nothing else, of importance." Alex shrugged and sat down a few feet from the body.

"Hey Dyl? Can I talk to Dad? It's important." Ty informed Dylian.

"You're in luck. He just came out of a meeting. Here, I'll give him the phone."

"Ty? What is it, sweetheart?"

"Hi, Dad. Uh, long story short, Alex and I went sightseeing solo and saw someone dump a body out of a black Ford SUV. What do we do now?" Ty asked hopefully.

Her father paused for a moment. "Don't let anyone see it, and don't talk to anyone. I'm calling NCIS; stay there, Ty!" her father ordered. "Tell them everything you saw and who you are when the team gets there."

"Right, Dad. Bye," Ty ended the call

"What do we do?" Alex asked, although she heard everything said on the phone.

"Stay here until an NCIS team gets here. Navy guy; it's their jurisdiction," Ty explained.

"Okay, how long until they get here?" Alex asked. "I hope they do not take long, we skipped dinner, and I am hungry. Abba always said, 'A full stomach equals full strength;' I do not want to be off my game."

Ty nodded as her stomach growled. About two miles away, she spotted a pair of navy blue Dodge Chargers racing towards them. "Hey, we got company. I'll tell them what happened. Assuming it's not a friend of the guys who dumped the body here in the first place. You do what's cool for you, okay?"

"Do you want me to guard the body?" Alex stood up from her place on the ground.

"Whatever's cool for you, Alex. If it's not our friends, I'll knock a few heads together," Ty cracked her knuckles cooly.

"Okay, I will stay with the body, plus you have better English so it should be you who talks to them," Alex nodded, seeing Ty's point. "We will say nothing about our parents, even though your father told you to?"

"You got it," Ty nodded. "Showtime," she muttered as the two vehicles skidded to a stop and she took a fighting stance alongside Alex.

"Who called NCIS?" a gruff voice called out.

"My dad. I'm Ty Shay." Ty gestured to the body. "This guy just got shoved out of a car that never dipped below 100 mph. Van, actually a black SUV, probably 2008, right Alex?" Ty asked her friend.

"Ken-uh, yes. I got the plates from the SUV." Alex explained. "Ty and myself were exploring D.C.; we left our class back at our hotel."

"At night?" a silver haired man asked.

"Why not?" Alex countered. "It is more fun than being with a big group. Getting away was easy as cake."

Ty raised an eyebrow. "Easy as pie, Alex." She looked at the guy. "We prefer looking around after sunset. Anyway, dead guy, probably a Marine or a Seal, lying on the ground, thrown from a 2008 black SUV with plate number-"

"Romeo Alph Zulu," Alex said. "Pie, cake, are they not interchangeable?"

Ty looked at her. "Let's just stick with pie, okay?

"Name?" the same man asked, interrupting them.

"We do not know his name," Alex said, "But I think you mean me, yes?" The man nodded. "My name is Alexandra Chereb."

"Alexandra Chereb? You are the daughter of Ahimeir and Eliana Chereb?" A woman with an accent like Alex's demanded.

Ty rolled her eyes. "So much for going incognito," she muttered.

"Yes, how do you know my name?" Alex asked.

"Alex, it is me, Ziva David. I use to babysit you when you were younger," Ziva explained

"Wait, Zi-Zi?" Alex eyes widened. Ziva nodded her head. Alex ran and hugged her.

"Wait...you're Tyler Shay, aren't you? Brian Shay's kid?" The silver-haired man asked.

"So much for going incognito," Alex agreed, facepalming after letting go of Ziva.

"Gibbs?" Ty narrowed her eyes. "Jethro Gibbs?"

Gibbs gave a lopsided smile. "That's me, kid."

"This is freaky, Zee-vah knows one kid and Boss Man knows the other!" An Italian male exclaimed. Gibbs 'Gibbs-slapped' him and Ziva punched him in the shoulder, both yelling "Shut-up, DiNozzo!"

"So, what happens now?" Alex asked the group.

"If this was FBI jury, we'd wait for the medical examiner," Ty shrugged.

"We will wait for Ducky. DiNozzo, photos, sketch; McGee, bag and tag; David, witness statements, just ask them more questions." Gibbs ordered his team.

"We are waiting for a bird to get here?" Alex asked incredulously, looking at Team Gibbs as if they each had two heads.

"No, our medical examiner, Dr. Mallard. He prefers Ducky," DiNozzo explained.

"Oh, that would make more sense." Alex nodded understandingly.

"So girls, I know you both provided us with great information but is there anything else you remember?" Ziva asked pen poised over her notebook.

"Not, really, but I think that the man driving might have noticed us, because after they dropped the body, the car slowed, only a fraction of the total speed, but still. Enough to where, if you have the training, you could see faces." Alex explained. Ziva nodded, knowing what Alex ment about the training.

"Oh yeah, that was when it fishtailed about half a foot the right!" Ty nodded, ignoring the comment about the Mossad training. "Oh shit, if they saw us, then they know that we saw them..."

"Well, then I think you two will be in protective custody, but I will ask Gibbs." Ziva walked the few feet to where Gibbs was supervising the other agents. "Gibbs, the girls said the driver probably got a look at them, do you want them in protective custody?"

"Yeah, you and DiNozzo will go with them to get their personal items from the hotel, bring them back to NCIS. Then we will talk about sleeping arrangements." Gibbs decided.

"Okay, I will go tell them." Ziva nodded, then walked back to the pair. "I was right, once we are finished here, Tony and I will take you back to your hotel to get your things, then we will go to NCIS, okay?" Ziva asked. Both Ty and Alex nodded in confirmation. Alex pulled Ziva aside, and Ty went to observe McGee and DiNozzo.

**So what do you think? Please I need to know so I can improve.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Picks up when Alex pulled Ziva aside.**

"Ziva, Mluvíte česky?" _Do you speak Czech?_ Alex asked.

"Ano," _Yes,_ Ziva nodded.

"Prosím, neříkej svůj tým mých rodičů pozic, to není něco, co bych říct lidem. Víš, co tím myslím?"_ Please do not tell your team of my parents' positions; it is not something I tell people. You know what I mean?_ Alex begged.

"Nebudu jim říct, ale když na to přijde, tak jsem nebudu lhát rozumět?"_ I will not tell them, but if it comes up I will not lie, understood?_ Ziva compromised.

"Ano, děkuji."_ Yes, thank you._ Alex hugged Ziva once again.

"So, you know Gibbs," Tony casually mentioned.

"My dad knew him, and we met a couple times," Ty responded guardedly.

"But you knew his full name," McGee responded. "Nobody knows his full name!"

"Yeah, well, I do." Ty shrugged.

"Why does Shay sound so familiar?" Tony mused.

Ty cleared her throat quickly. "No clue, why?"

"If he knows Gibbs, I wonder if he knows Director-that's it! Wait, you're not Deputy-Director Shay's kid, are you?" Tony asked, making the connection.

"He's FBI, right?" Ty winced. Great. Why does everyone have to know my Dad? Why?! "I'm...sort of related."

"I've never seen Ziva hug anyone other than Abby, and that was once. Now she's hugged, uh, Alex, twice." McGee pointed out, looking to where Alex was currently letting go of Ziva. "Wonder what they were talking about," he mused aloud.

"Is Ziva anything like Alex? If so, then God-no, Jehovah-only knows," Ty shrugged, then shook her head. "Dad's gonna kill me. I go on one field trip, and I'm already part of the Witness Protection Program!" As an afterthought, she muttered to herself, "'Next time, Jack, write a goddamned memo!'"

Tony looked at her. "You know The Hunt for Red October?"

Ty grinned. "Like the back of my hand."

McGee groaned. "It's gonna be a long car ride."

"Ziva, what were you and Alex talkin' about earlier?" Tony asked as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Why do you ask?" Ziva replied. "And why can I not drive?"

"Because Zee-vah, I don't want to die!" Tony exclaimed, starting the car.

"Oh? Then I should be driving. What occurred between Alex and I is none of your business," she glared.

"Ziva is right. What we talked about is private. It would be like me asking you what you did last night, when I did not even know you then" Alex snapped.

"Dude, she's got a point." Ty pointed out. "And let's step on the gas, shall we? You drive like my grandmother!"

"Oh really?" Tony snapped back.

"Yeah. And you know what? She died in a car wreck because someone rammed her from behind when she didn't go on a green light!" Ty explained triumphantly. Tony paled and stepped on the gas as Ziva and Alex bit back their laughter.

"Did your grandmother really die in a car accident?" Alex whispered.

"No, but my great-aunt did," Ty replied.

"What hotel are you girls staying at?" Ziva asked.

"The Park Hyatt." Alex answered.

"That is a really nice hotel." Tony said.

"Yeah, well when you go to a boarding school in Naples Italy, you get an expensive hotel." Ty explained.

"Italy?" Ziva raised an eyebrow.

"Ziva, do you think my parents would let me come to the states for a whole year without them? Sure, I can go to lots of other countries, to do... things, but I can get myself in a lot more trouble here," Alex added. Ziva nodded, understanding what she meant. Both Ty and Tony chose to ignore the comment.

"Okay, we're here." Tony pulled into a parking space out front.

"What are your rooms?" Ziva asked, calling the elevator.

"918. We share a room." Alex hit the button for the floor. The group got off the elevator and turned left, walking for about two minutes before Alex and Ty stopped, the latter swiping the key card.

"Grab all of your stuff; we don't know how long the investigation will last." Tony said. Both girls nodded and went to gather their belongings.

Alex grabbed a black duffel bag from under her bed, placing her blue and green blanket and matching pillow in it first. Walking the short distance to the closet she grabbed her combat boots and Nikes from the floor. She pulled off and folded her cargo pants, jeans, tees, tanks, and cardigans next. She walked to the vanity and grabbed the jewelry box her Star of David was kept in when she took it off. Then to the kitchenette area to grab her Italia fútból water bottle. "I am ready." Alex announced walking towards Ziva, picking up her backpack from the couch.

Ty grabbed her duffel bag and threw in her black and grey pillow and blanket. Next, she grabbed her Nikes, her motorcycle boots, her jeans, her cargo pants, her shirts, tees, and hoodies. She put her laptop, a copy of D-Day, and her NCA Polo Team water bottle in her backpack, which also contained her phone. She looped her backpack over one shoulder and her duffel over the other and walked towards the other three. "Let's get the hell out of here," she grinned.


	3. Chapter 3

**They are just leaving the hotel now...**

"So, where are we going?" Alex asked pulling out her book Magyk of her backpack, and her water.

"To NCIS," Tony answered, scanning the street and pulling out into traffic.

"Yes, you two will be with an agent every minute; you are in protective custody." Ziva explained.

"We're perfectly capable of protecting ourselves," Ty objected.

"Yes; I have six black belts, and Ty has three. I think we are good. Also, will we have to go through a metal detector yes?" Alex looked out the window.

"Yeah, do we?" Ty asked, looking at her backpack.

"I have a feeling that you two have weapons, right?" Tony looked at them through the rear view mirror.

"Of course! They have weapons, well at least Alex will." Ziva said knowingly.

"So do I." Ty nodded.

"I mean, it is very stupid to go anywhere without some sort of defense. Other than knowledge," Alex added.

"Ok, no metal detector," Tony nodded slowly. "Aaanyway, when we get to NCIS, then we will go up to the bullpen and meet Gibbs and McNerd." Tony smirked.

"McNerd? Quite the last name." Alex cocked her head to the side.

"More like a funny nickname," Ty guessed.

"His name is McGee," Ziva corrected her partner, frowning at him.

"And then there's the Director, and Ducky, and Abby," Tony added, ignoring Ziva. "But we have to wait to see Ducky until post-autopsy."

"It is not like seeing a dead body would scar us for life." Alex added. Tony's eyebrows shot up but he didn't voice his comment.

"Well, we are here." Ziva said looking at the front gate man, Tony showed his badge and they were let in. Bypassing the metal detector and into the elevator, stopping at a bright orange painted office looking floor.

"David, DiNozzo; welcome back to the party." Gibbs said sarcastically.

"There is a party?" Alex looked confused.

"Not a real party; it is a saying." Ziva explained.

"So, what do we got?" Tony asked.

"Well, dead Navy Seal on Ducky's table, they took out his teeth and removed his fingerprints, so we are running him through facial recognition and AFIS." McGee informed them.

"To the conference room with the girls, Ziva." Gibbs instructed. Ziva nodded and lead the girls away. "McGee, anywhere on the backgrounds of the kids?" Gibbs sipped his coffee.

"Yes, Boss. Ty or Tyler Thaliya Shay, is the daughter of the deputy-director of the FBI. Says here she lost her mother at a young age, no siblings." McGee read. Tony looked at him, surprised.

"What about Alexandra?"

"Nothing, except a full name, Alexandra Jasmin Chereb. Even using what information I heard Ziva say earlier that she knew Alex."

"That doesn't sound good." Tony frowned. "Not good at all."

"They are doing background checks on us, are they not?" Alex asked Ziva.

"Most likely." Ty answered for Ziva.

"Yes, it is protocol." Ziva nodded.

"They are not going to find much, on me at least; my parents made me unfindable." Alex shook her head. "That will make them suspicious of me. Which means they are going to want to talk to me, not good." Alex frowned. She looked around. "Where is Ty?"

"Okay, so what's Ramius' line right before Jack goes in?" demanded Tony.

"'Ryan, be careful what you shoot at. Most things in here do not react well to bullets,' which Jack repeats in a second, adding, 'Yeah, including me!'" Ty responded confidently.

Something grabbed Ty from behind. She instinctively reached behind her, grabbed the person's wrist, and flipped them over her shoulder. The person landed hard on their back. Ty looked down. It was McGee. "Oh my God, I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

McGee stared at the ceiling. "Just...surprised...why did you do that?"

Ty raised her hands defensively. "Hey man, you don't grab someone from behind when they're talking to someone else! Right, Alex?"

"Yes, if it was me, I would have broken your arm. It is simple really, just a joint lock and twist." Alex smiled deviously.

"Yeah, well I was distracted!" Ty shrugged. She turned back to McGee and pulled him to his feet. "You sure you're okay?"

"I just tapped you on the shoulder..." McGee protested, still dazed.

Tony grabbed McGee's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I think you short-circuited some of Probie's wiring."

"DiNozzo, Alexandra, interrogation room one." Gibbs sipped his coffee. "Oh, and Ty, try to not permanently break my team."

"This is not good." Alex frowned.

After Alex had left with Gibbs and Tony, Ziva turned to Ty. "We are going to watch them talk to her; she will need the backup. You know her better than anyone; make sure she doesn't say too much. Got it?"

"Yeah; if I think she's about to lose it, I'll go in. McGee," Ty ordered, sitting him down in a chair, "Go get a drink of water." She turned back to Ziva. "Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

Gibbs and Tony lead Alex down the hall to the interrogation room. They walked in and Gibbs motioned Alex to sit across from him. Tony stood behind Gibbs leaning on the window. "So, why couldn't we find background on you?" Gibbs looked to Alex.  
"No reason in particular. Just my parents doing." Alex avoided the direct question, with a half answer. _Half truths, full lies, but not the full truth will have to do. I can not tell them._  
"Okay, so tell us about you." Gibbs leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. He had a feeling that they'd be here awhile.  
"Me? That would be...a lot to tell. So, sorry I can not." Alex looked him in the eye.  
"You're a very good liar," Gibbs observed. Alex didn't even blink.  
"You knew Ziva. You were almost too young to remember, because you almost didn't recognize her. You're Israeli," Tony observed, tilting his head.  
"Beehlet?" _Really?_ "I had not idea that I was Israeli!" Alex snapped. "Thank you for stating the obvious."  
"You're Israeli," Tony repeated. "Why would your parents try to hide your identity?"  
"Because, they felt that they needed to." Alex gave a vague answer.  
"Why would Ziva know you?" Gibbs asked.  
"Easy. We were neighbors." Alex nodded.  
Outside the interrogation room, Ty exchanged a look with Ziva. "Strike one," she frowned.  
"Who would your parents be to live next to Ziva?" Tony asked.  
"Very important people to my country." Alex kept her gaze with Gibbs. This is not going well.  
Ty winced. "Strike two."  
"How important?" Gibbs quirked his brow.  
"Needed, but expendable like every other person." Alex crossed her arms.  
Uh-oh, Ty shook her head.  
"That sounds very much like something a member of a certain foreign agency would say," Tony narrowed his eyes.  
"You could say that, but in Israel you grow up fast. You learn that life is hard, not always going in your favor. You do not get the privilege of life you earn it." Alex said straight faced. Control your emotions, this is not going well so far.  
"Huh, grow up fast. I heard that phrase once. I was on a mission in Russia." Gibbs mentioned.  
"She's gonna lose it," Ty swore, diving for the door.  
Alex's eyes widened, then snapped closed. Her mind going back to that dirty dark cell. _They can not hurt me. They can not hurt me. I will not let them. I am not in Russia. I am in America._ Alex kept repeating the mantra in her head. _Russia. Vircovh. The camp. The pain. I am a failure._ Silent tears fell down her face. Alex pulled her knees to her chest putting her head on her knees. _Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure_. Vircovh's words echoing in her head.  
"Alex!" Ty yelled, flinging open the door. Tony and Gibbs stood up sharply, Tony reached for his gun, and Ty's mind blanked. _FBI, people she knew, forcing her into the room, pinning her down. Trying to escape, one of them slowly pulling a gun, telling her to calm down. No...I will not calm down! _Ty charged at Tony, chopping the gun from his hand, grabbing him by the shirt and pinning him to the wall with her arm across her throat.  
"Tyler!" The agent yelled, trying to move. _Wait...Tony? Oh, hell, no!_ Ty quickly released her grip, spun, dodged Gibbs, grabbed Alex, and carried her out the door. She rushed to an elevator, pressed B, and hit the emergency stop. She slid against the wall and held her head in her hands. _What've you done? What's wrong with you?  
What? Where am I?_ Alex looked around. _I am in...an elevator? Why? Oh, there is Ty maybe she can tell me._ Alex kicked Ty to get her attention. "Ty. Why, pray tell, are we in an elevator?"  
"Gibbs said something about Russia. You went..kind of crazy. Ziva and I were watching; I ran in, tried to stop them, and then I went kind of crazy. I snapped out of it, grabbed you, and here we are." Ty shrugged, running her hand through her hair.  
"Oh, that does not usually happen. I have not spaced out, since I got home from that place. Usually I am fine. What did I tell them about my parents?" Alex sat criss-cross.  
"Didn't deny you were Ziva's neighbor, admitted your parents were important, said something about growing up fast, then Gibbs said something about hearing that in Russia."  
"Not good. How long was I out?"  
"A couple minutes, till I snapped out of it...God, I haven't lost control like that before. It was just...the interrogation room, then Tony pulled his gun...it brought back real bad memories."  
"Yes, extremely bad memories. I thought that I could smell the alcohol, in the air." Alex frowned, wiping the tears that were in her eyes. _Cherebs do not cry. Never! Emotions make you weak! I am pathetic. _  
"Hey man, we both lost it back there," Ty reminded her. "But we can't afford to do it again. Deal?"  
"Yes, you are right. I will try, no, will not space out again." _Control my emotions_. The two shook hands.  
Ty took a deep breath. "You ready to go back in there?"  
Alex nodded. "Like it never happened." But it did.  
Ty and Alex rose, and Alex punched the emergency stop button, then the third floor button. The two composed themselves as the elevator dinged. Tony, Gibbs, and Ziva were waiting for them, arms crossed.  
Uh-oh, they thought at the same time.  
"Shalom, how is the weather?" Alex asked.  
"Did I miss the Broncos game?" Ty asked.  
"Yes, you two did miss something." Ziva nodded.  
"Care to explain what happened in interrogation?" Tony asked.  
"Or why you attacked a member of my team?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow.  
Alex looked at Ty. "You did what?"  
Ty shrugged. "Forgot about that."  
"I would rather not," Alex explained, "Elaborate."  
"Both of you will." Gibbs gave the girls the 'Gibbs' stare. Neither faltered under his gaze; they had seen much worse.  
"I get one phone call, right?" Ty asked.  
"I believe we do. But I have to use my phone." Alex walked past the agents and towards the bullpen.  
"Same," Ty added, following her.  
"I think we just got played." Tony stated.  
"Ya think, DiNozzo?!" Gibbs slapped his head.  
"It was amusing." Ziva ducked avoiding the slap that was meant for her head.


	5. Chapter 5

Ty grabbed her phone from her backpack and punched a key on her speed-dial. "Hey, Dad." Ty grinned nervously.  
"Ty? Is everything okay? Are you at NCIS?"  
"Yes...to the second question."  
"What happened?!"  
"We got here all right, after we went to our hotel. I get along with the people on the team. Gibbs is the team leader!"  
"Really? Ty, answer my question."  
"They took Alex into an interrogation room to ask her some questions. I followed them. Gibbs said something, and it triggered a bad memory. She kinda lost it. I went in to calm her down, and I guess I really surprised them, because one of them pulled his gun, and then I lost it."  
"Oh God...what happened?" Ty could sense her Dad's reluctance.  
"Nothing bad. I just...flipped his gun out of his hand and pinned him to the wall. And then I snapped out of it, and carried Alex to the elevator. We kind of avoided talking to them and now I'm talking to you."  
"So they have no idea what happened to you?"  
"Nope."  
"Try and keep it that way as long as possible, okay?"  
"I will, Dad."  
"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry this is happening."  
Ty smiled. "It's fine, Dad. Look, I'll call you when I can, and you know my number. Now go get to your meeting."  
Her dad laughed. "Alright. Love you, sweetheart."  
"You, too, Dad. Bye," Ty said, ending the call. _Now, to find Alex._

Alex grabbed her phone from her backpack pocket and went to the phone app and dialed the top number, and spoke in Hebrew.

"Shalom, Ima." _Hello, mother._  
"Shalom, malach. You are calling..." _Hello, angel._  
"To say hello. To ask how your, night, uh day is going."  
"You sound stressed. Why?"  
"I had a flashback... about Russia."  
"You are okay, yes?"  
"Ken, I am fine now." _Yes_.  
"Stay strong, malach, stay strong." _Angel_.  
"I will. Shalom Ima." Bye mother.  
"Shalom, ani hoev otkha, malach." _Bye, I love you, angel._  
"Ani hoev otkha, Ima." _I love you, mother. _  
That phone call felt harder than it had to be. At least I walked away to the other side of the stairs, even so only Ziva would understand what I had said. Alex walked back to the agents, put her phone back then, sat on the corner of Ziva's desk to wait for Ty, to be done with her call.

Ty walked out of the stairwell and saw Alex sitting on the corner of a desk. She sat on the one opposite. They exchanged glances. _Here it comes_...  
"What are we gonna do?" Alex whispered.  
"Hopefully not die," Ty replied, snorting. "Wait for Gibbs, I guess."  
"They cannot kill us, on American soil, also only the CIA can kill people legally." Alex crossed her arms.  
"I know, but Gibbs could probably get pretty close," Ty sighed ruefully. "I mean, I've already-"  
"Attacked two of my agents? Yeah," Gibbs agreed, walking toward them.  
"Well, I would say acted on reflex." Alex smiled at Ty.  
"Hey man, unintentional both times. But, I agree with Alex, " Ty nodded. "Nothing personal," she added, slightly embarrassed, as Tony joined his boss.  
"I would say you both have extremely well trained instincts," Ziva observed, joining Tony.  
"Toda." Thanks, Alex smiled towards Ziva.  
"What did she say?" Tony whispered to Ty.  
"Look it up," she whispered back. "It's thanks."  
"Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs, Timmy and I found some info on Alex-Oh, oops."  
"Abby, will ya look before you speak?" Gibbs sighed.  
"Uh-oh," Ty and Alex muttered at the same time.  
"Uh, next time Gibbs?" Abby asked hopeful.  
"Sure, what d'you got?"  
"Should I be in here?" Alex asked, walking towards the elevator.  
"Should you? It's about you. No, the question you should be asking is, should I?" Ty called, chasing after her.  
"Ty and I will be in the elevator." Alex pulled her away.  
"Alex, stay. Ty, go." Gibbs commanded.  
"Yes, sir," Ty nodded ruefully, leaving Alex behind and walking slowly to the elevator. _Good luck, Alex._  
"Don't call me sir! Okay Abbs, go."  
"Uh, you sure, I mean should I? Like now." Abby rambled.  
"Just go." Alex sighed, returning to her seat on Ziva's desk. "It is not like I have not heard it before. I lived it."  
"Okay, her parents are the new directors of Mossad." Abby started. Alex cringed while the three agents looked at her, Tony with surprise, Ziva with sympathy, and Gibbs with no expression at all.  
"She lost her both of her siblings at a young age. She works for Mossad, has earned the name 'invisible one,' was sent on a mission over the summer to Russia where-" Abby stopped, seeing the look on Alex's face.  
"Where I was kidnapped and tortured for two months, at the hands of Boris Vircovh, a Russian hit man." Alex pushed up the sleeves of her sweatshirt to show all the scars that lined her arms. "These were a gift from him, and more. I killed him and his men so I could escape. Are you done?"  
"Yes, that's it." Abby nodded, feeling really really bad.  
McGee rushed in. "Boss, I reran Ty's name and found mo-" he started.  
"Hey, she knows little of my past. I think we should keep it the same way. I will go get her." Alex interrupted him, grabbing her book from her bag, then went to get Ty. "Your turn." Alex fake smiled.  
"What? How-oh, hell, who cares. Did you bring a book?"  
Alex held her book up as proof. "Good luck," she added sympathetically. Ty snorted before slowly shuffling toward the agents. She wordlessly leaned on Tony's desk, her head down, arms folded.  
"McGee?" Gibbs asked.  
"Uh, like I said, I reran Ty's name through the database, and found this." McGee put up his findings on the plasma.  
"Agent Blackhawk, Willow Eyes-Only," Gibbs read aloud. "Open it," he ordered.  
Ty closed her eyes.  
McGee opened the file. "It says here that, uh, Tyler Shay was the only asset in a special project. They were testing her ability to operate in the field as a SEAL or Marine. They thought a squad of teenagers would be easier to get behind enemy lines." McGee, Abby, Tony, and Ziva stared at Ty, amazed.  
"Who's they, McGee?" Gibbs crossed his arms.  
"The F.B.I. They picked me because I was the Deputy-Director's kid, I could shoot with a trained sniper, and I passed the physical." Ty answered bitterly, glaring at the screen.  
"The operation was cut. Why?" Gibbs glanced at her.  
"I blew up at POTUS, and someone, a division of al Qaeda, found out about the project. They tried to take out my family. Dad and I survived." Ty's voice turned cold and hard.  
"What made you blow up? In the interrogation room?" Tony asked.  
Ty glanced at him, then back at the plasma. "No comment?"  
Gibbs looked at her and added quietly, "Tyler, you can answer the question."  
Ty clenched her jaw. "When they picked me...for the op, I had no idea...what was going on. I was in my Dad's office, waiting for him to come out of a meeting. Three FBI agents that I knew...like family, came in, and told me to come with them. I tried to ask why...they took me to an interrogation room...just like yours. I got loose...one of them pulled his gun, told me to calm down...when I saw Tony, I just..." Ty choked and bowed her head, tears in her eyes. "Sorry, sir," she cleared her throat, swallowing, "But I'm gonna go get Alex." Ty rose and walked from the room quickly before they could stop her.  
Alex looked up. "Ty, you look...different." Alex smiled, trying to lighten the mood.  
"I feel different," Ty replied with bitter humor. "Come on, let's go back in there."  
"Okay, sure." Alex stood placing her bookmark in its place. " I was just getting to a good part."  
"Sorry to interrupt you," Ty grinned tiredly, getting her old self back. "Come on, I think I actually threw them for a loop."  
"Oh? This I would like to see, because I am pretty sure my background shocked them as well." Alex lead Ty back to the agents. "So what now?" Alex asked them all, but was only looking at Ziva. _She is the only one of them I trust._  
"Now someone explains to me exactly what's been going on, and why I was kept out of the loop," a new female voice replied.  
"Girls, meet Director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard." Ziva introduced.  
"Tyler Shay," Ty said uneasily.  
"Alexandra Chereb." Alex answered, calmly with a mask of indifference.  
"Well, I know both of your parents. But nonetheless it is nice to meet you." Jenny smiled.  
"What all do you know?" Gibbs asked.  
"I'm the director, I know everything about every case. That and Ziva called me asking for a favor, and I drilled her about the case, Jethro." Jenny smirked.  
"How long have you been standing there?" Gibbs asked.  
"Here?" Jenny motioned to her spot."Not long. But I was on the catwalk."  
Gibbs tilted his head. "Were you here when we found out about Alex and Ty?"  
"Yes and no. I was lower on the stairs."  
"Okay, Director, on topic, shall we? What about this case do you not know?" Gibbs sighed.  
"Like I said, I know everything. Background, ties to agents, familiar personalities. I see it all."  
Gibbs sighed. "Let's go down and see Ducky."  
"The elevator is going to be crowded, yes?" Alex asked Ty.  
"I'll take the stairs," Ty offered.  
"I am with Ty." Alex added.  
"I will lead them down," Ziva offered, leading the way.  
The trio beat the elevator, just as they suspected. Ducky met them in front of the elevator.  
"Ducky, this is Alexandra Chereb, and this is Tyler Shay," Ziva introduced.  
"Nice, to meet such fine young ladies." Ducky stood up from his desk. "Call me Ducky. Now where did Mr. Palmer go?"  
"Uh, right here," a male voice replied. Alex and Ty spun around, both prepared to fight, startling Palmer. "Uh, geez." He held his hands in an innocent gesture.  
"Sorry. It's been a long day," Ty apologized, sticking her hands in her pockets as the elevator opened.  
"We totally beat the girls," Tony smiled confidently over his shoulder at McGee, then turned around. He frowned. "Then again, maybe not."  
"Took you long enough." Alex smirked; she had heard his comment.  
"I would consider it a long night, Ty," Gibbs observed. "Duck?"  
"We have Navy Captain Jack Matthew Smith here. He was restrained, look at his wrists. I sent a swab of skin from there for Abigail to figure out what he was bound with. Stabbed in the lower stomach region for pain, rather than killing. Final cause of death is a br-" Ducky explained.  
"A snapped neck, yes?" Alex asked.  
"You would be right, my dear."  
"I recognize the killing style. Popular in Afghanistan when I was there, case went cold."  
"Wait a second, I know that name!" Ty snapped her fingers. "He's my friend's brother! I went to Culver with Zack Smith last year!"  
"Says in his file that he went MIA about a month ago." Abby said from the video cam on Ducky's desk.  
"Now the question, my dear boy, is were you taken or did you leave willingly?" Ducky turned to ask Smith.  
"Good question Duck, good question." Gibbs lead everyone back to the elevator. The girls once again opted for the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, we definitely beat them this time!" Tony smiled triumphantly upon seeing the empty bullpen.  
"Hey, DiNozzo, Ziva took us to the break room, we got Gatorades, and a tea." Alex smirked, displaying her blue drink. The smirk widened at Tony's crestfallen features.  
"Oh, McGee we got you a Nutter Butter." Ty handed him the snack. "As an I'm-sorry-for-flipping-you-over-my shoulder-and-onto-your-back-gift?"  
"All is forgiven." McGee took the snack and his stomach growled.  
"What about me?" Tony whined feeling left out.  
"A chocolate bar." Ziva tossed it at him.  
"Sorry, Gibbs, Director Shepard, we did not know what to get you." Alex explained, Ty and Ziva nodded.  
"It's fine."  
"I don't need the calories." Jenny smiled.  
"Okay Ziva, Tony. It was short notice we couldn't set up a safe house so you will be staying at the State Plaza. We could only get one room with a king sized bed, and a couch." Gibbs explained.  
"A king should fit four fine." Tony smiled.  
"You get the couch, DiNozzo!" Ziva snapped.  
"I second that!" Alex added.  
"I think I should get the couch. Tony is technically my superior officer, I'm no longer a federal agent, and it would be more comfortable," Ty offered.  
"That is kind of you, but your sacrifice is not required. Looks like you are outnumbered." Ziva smirked. "Come on girls, let's go, I am driving." Ziva held the keys.  
"Ninja, you may not drive." Tony said reaching for the keys.  
"It is only fair, you drove us here." Alex pointed out. Ziva tossed her the keys, so Tony couldn't get them.  
"Hand them over," he demanded.  
"Remember when Ty flipped McGee, and I said he was lucky his arm did not get broken? I will not hesitate to break your arm if you attempt to take these keys from me, got it?" Alex said. Tony paled a bit but nodded.  
"Good. Alex,the keys." Alex placed them in Ziva's hand.  
Ty broke into laughter, "They got you good." She wiped a fake tear from her eye and Tony glared at Ty.

"I see your driving is the same." Alex smiled, grabbing her things.  
"You call that driving?!" Tony looked vaguely green.  
"I don't know what to call it, but it was AWESOME!" Ty exclaimed, flicking her hands in emphasis.  
"Come on, let's check in." Ziva walked to the door, followed by Alex, Ty, then Tony, each carrying their own bags.  
"Hello, welcome to the State Plaza, checking in?" A happy clerk asked.  
"Yes, room for NCIS?" Tony asked.  
"Ah, right here, king bed. Here are two room keys." The clerk handed over the cards. "Room 838. Have a good evening."  
"Cool, let's go." Ty pressed the button to call the elevator.  
"Nice room." Ziva looked around. "Double sink vanity, apart from the bath. Big closet."  
"Do I really have to sleep on the couch?" Tony whined.  
"Yep." Ty nodded.  
"Yes, we are keeping it G-rated." Alex set down her bag on the farthest side of the bed. "Oh, the bed is very nice," she taunted.  
"Well, at least there's a big TV. Who wants to watch a movie?" Tony asked.  
"I'm in!" Ty responded.  
"Depends on the movie." Ziva answered.  
"No, thanks." Alex replied.  
"What?! You don't want to watch a movie?!" Tony freaked.  
"I do not feel like a movie. I will be on my laptop." Alex pulled out said device. "Besides I have stuff to do."  
"I know, Tony; I thought it was weird, too. Anyway, for the movie I have The Hunt for Red October!" Ty held the case.  
"Looks like we're watching this." Tony put the DVD in. And the three of them sat in the 'living' area to watch.

"I have not seen this movie before," Ziva observed as the opening credits scrolled by.  
"Really? It's probably one of my favorites," Ty remarked from her seat on the floor. Tony and Ziva were on the couch. "I personally believe this may actually have happened, to some degree."  
"Maybe, but Jack Ryan had nothing to do with it," Tony observed cynically.  
"Shut up! The move is starting!" Ziva hissed.  
"Tony, just the dialogue," Ty whispered. Tony nodded, grinning, and turned up the volume.

Alex opened and turned on her laptop. Aubrey would kill me if I did not finish my half of our report on photosynthesis of ocean plant life. Alex smiled. Music would be a good thing to listen to, drown out the movie. Alex put her Beats headphones on and started her playlist Homework, on iTunes, the first song that played was Catch My Breath by Kelly Clarkson. Perfect for now.

Everyone had gotten into their pajamas, and headed off to sleep. Tony on the couch, much to his displeasure, and Ty, then Ziva, then Alex, in that order, on the bed. Sadly, the latter two were snoring, loudly.  
Ty got up slowly from the bed and crawled over to Tony. "They snore like-"  
"Like drunken sailors with emphysema?" Tony lifted his head.  
"Exactly."  
"Go back to bed and try to sleep; they probably won't stop." Tony sighed. Ty crawled back to bed, and the weight she added to the bed woke up her bedmates.  
"Move and die!" Alex and Ziva hissed, Alex wielding a knife, Ziva her gun.  
"Sorry, it's just me, Ty!" she whispered. Both Alex and Ziva put their weapons under their pillows and fell back asleep instantly.  
"Go to sleep, no sleep means no energy, no energy means you get handed your ass." They mumbled into their pillows.  
"Oh yeah? What about me?" Ty muttered. Screw it. She shuffled back to the couch. "Move over," she ordered, pushing Tony against the back of the couch.  
"Uh, breathing space?" he asked, startled at being disturbed.  
"I almost died. Breath," Ty grumbled, facing the door and closing her eyes.  
"I should've warned you about Ziva and her gun."  
Ty snorted. "So what? Alex sleeps with a knife. She almost slashed my throat out once when I sleepwalked into her room."  
"It's gonna be a long night." Tony sighed, trying to sleep.  
So shut up and sleep, Ty thought as she faded out.


	7. Chapter 7

Alex and Ziva both woke up at 04:30 AM.  
"Yom Tov! Ziva." Good morning! Alex stretched.  
"Yom Tov!" Ziva rolled off the bed and stood up.  
"Do you think the hotel has a gym, I need to run." Alex asked, getting some workout clothes from her bag.  
"Yes it does, I also need to run. Let's go, I will leave a note for our couch companions."  
"What?" Alex walked out of the bathroom and saw both Ty and Tony sleeping on the couch. "Hmm, interesting." Something to tease them about later.  
"Come on." Ziva and Alex walked out the door.

"A nice run, right?" Alex asked Ziva walking back into the room.  
"Yes, although I like the fresh air better." Ziva nodded.  
"Yom Tov." Alex noticed that their roommates were up.  
Ty was tying her Nikes, and Tony shuffled out of the bathroom, yawning. Ty looked up. "Thanks for trying to kill me last night," she replied in a friendly tone. Then she turned to Tony. "Come on, let's go bench. We've got thirty minutes before the breakfast bar opens, and I'm not standing in line behind whiny two-year olds."  
Tony nodded and walked toward the door. Ty opened it for him and closed it behind herself.  
"Ty benches?" Ziva wondered aloud.  
Alex smiled. "Yes. Her knuckle dusters are her prefered weapon of choice. Besides her Bereta sniper rifle. She also runs, but usually at night. It is how she relaxes."  
"She has a-never mind, I remember." Ziva nodded.  
"I, have many different types of weapons, I did not want to bring the big ones but I do have this." Alex pulled out her SIG.  
"Well, I saw that coming, being raised the way we were, nothing really surprises 'us' anymore." Ziva nodded.  
"Hmmm," Alex agreed. "I was just wondering, what happened last night? Why was Ty sleeping next to Tony? I remember some of it, but..."  
Ziva smirked. "I think we threatened her with her life; I had a gun, you a knife. She must have crawled in next to Tony."  
"So she ended up sleeping on the couch after all," Alex laughed.  
"Yes. I think I will tease Tony mercilessly about this," Ziva mused.  
"And I will tease Ty. We should bring it up later, with everyone else." Alex smiled.  
"Yes, I think we should. Come, let us meditate," Ziva motioned.

"You know, for a breakfast bar, this isn't bad," Ty observed, chewing on her biscuit with sausage gravy.  
"I have had better." Alex commented eating her fruit.  
"I have made better." Ziva complained, picking at her eggs.  
"You have never had one of my Western skillets, so you haven't eaten best," Ty replied, reaching for a carrot.  
"Western skillet?" Tony asked, looking up from his Belgian waffle.  
"Tony, wipe your mouth. You are drooling," teased Ziva.  
"I would say Ziva's cooking is better than Ty's. Sorry Ty." Alex had finished her fruit and moved to her French toast.  
"It's cool; cultural difference," Ty shrugged, happily gnawing her betacarotene.  
"I still want one," Tony sighed, finishing his waffle.  
"Now what for lunch?" Alex asked, leaving to throw her empty plate away.  
"I don't know; we'll look something up," Tony replied.  
"I think Gibbs will call us back to NCIS anytime now," Ty guessed.  
"Then it is a good thing I brought my backpack down." Alex said upon her re-arrival.  
"Hold on, I gotta go check something," Ty said, rushing from the table.  
"What's her problem?" Tony wondered.  
"I do not know. It is Ty." Alex shrugged.  
Ty returned to her seat carrying her backpack, her laptop out. "I was right," she announced,  
"About what?" Ziva frowned.  
"Zack doesn't know about his brother. Poor guy," Ty shook her head, "I wonder how I'm gonna tell him?"  
"You will not until Gibbs gives you permission," Ziva replied.  
"Five minutes," Ty decided. "Then Gibbs will call us."  
"What makes you so sure?" Tony questioned.  
"Call it a gut feeling," Ty explained. Both Tony and Ziva's jaw dropped.  
"What, does that hold some meaning?" Alex asked.  
"Gibbs always goes on his gut feeling," Tony explained, looking at Ty reverently.  
"Sounds interesting, he goes on his stomach and I follow orders," Alex looked around their little group.  
"Not his stomach. You're gut feeling's like your instinct," Ty explained, then wondered, "How did I know that?"  
"Simple. It is one of your Americanisms," Alex shrugged.  
"No, about Gibbs's gut feeling," Ty clarified.  
"Simple, everyone knows what a gut feeling is, they just do not always act on them. Like earlier I had a gut instinct to get up and run ten miles outside. I knew that I could not do that so, Ziva and I ran ten miles on the treadmills in the gym." Alex explained.  
"Or maybe it's because you knew Gibbs when you were little. He might have rubbed off on you," Tony speculated.  
"Why did you know him?" Ziva asked.  
"He came over a lot, talked to my dad. He always seemed sad...And he always talked to me," Ty shrugged. Alex wanted to give Ty privacy about her past and pulled out her phone as a distraction.  
Ziva's phone rang. She checked the caller I.D. "It is Gibbs," she announced, answering it. "David," she answered like normal.  
"We want to contact the family. Ty said she knew the brother, have her do it," Gibbs ordered.  
"Fine. Is that all?" Ziva checked.  
"For now." Gibbs hung up.  
Ziva looked at Ty. "Gibbs wants you to call Zack."  
Ty nodded slowly, stood up, and walked to the far side of the room, which was empty except for the four of them. She took out her phone, took a deep breath, and slowly dialed Zack's number.  
"Hello?"  
"Zack? It's Tyler," she explained.  
"Tyler? What's up with you? How've you been?" Zack asked.  
"Fine. Look, Zack, is this a good time?" Ty asked nervously.  
"Yeah, why? Is something wrong?"  
"Zack, you know how Jack's been MIA?"  
"Yeah..." He frowned.  
"They found him."  
"What? That's great! When-"  
"Zack. He's dead," Ty whispered softly. The others looked away, uncomfortable. There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Zack?" she asked, almost pleadingly.  
"How...did you know...about..." Zack asked softly.  
"Alex and I were on a field trip in D.C. We went looking around after dark, and saw someone throw a body out of an SUV. We called NCIS; we're actually with a pair of agents now. God, Zack...I'm so sorry."  
He cleared his throat. "Why are you with agents? Are you at NCIS?"  
Ty shook her head. "No. We think the guys in the SUV...might have seen us."  
"What? Are you alright?" Zack demanded, instantly concerned.  
Ty laughed sadly. "Zack, I'm fine. We're just being careful."  
"Tyler, please don't do anything stupid. I don't want to lose you, especially after..." Zack choked and fell silent.  
Ty held the phone closer to her ear. "Hey, Zack, take it easy...I won't do anything stupid. I promise. I wish you were here," she cleared her throat.  
Ty thought she he heard him smile. "So do I. You take care of yourself, Tyler."  
"You too, Zack. Bye," she ended the call and took a deep breath. "That went a lot better than I thought it would," she laughed sharply.  
Tony looked at her. "He kept calling you Tyler. Not Ty?"  
"At Culver, you're assigned a nickname; they give it to you. Ty was a nickname. So, I'm Tyler." She shrugged.  
"What was your nickname?" Ziva asked.  
An embarrassed look passed over Ty's face. "Shadow." She quickly looked at them. "But seriously, I'm Ty, okay?"  
"Yes, you are Ty. If not, then you are Shadow, Ziva is Ghost, and I am Invisible One." Alex laughed.  
"What about me? I should get a cool nickname," Tony insisted.  
Ziva laughed. "You are Pizza Boy." Both Alex and Ty erupted into laughter.  
"That's no funny, Zee-vah," Tony whined.  
"Actually, it's very funny, but if it makes you feel better, I will call you Very Special Agent DiNozzo," Ty promised.  
"I will call you...Whiny." Alex decided. "You seem to do it often."  
Ty fell off her chair laughing. Tony looked down at her with a dark expression. "You're not helping, small one."  
"Neither are you, slightly larger one," Ty shot back between laughs.  
"Ziva." Alex whispered. "They are two very funny people, yes?" Ziva laughed as conformation.  
Ty looked up at them, and Tony looked over. "What are you talking about?" Ty asked, sitting up.  
"Nothing that you and the slightly larger one have to worry about." Alex smiled.  
Ty shrugged, getting back in her chair. "That's cool. Now what?"  
"I think we should pack up and go. Gibbs is probably waiting for us." Tony said, snatching up the keys.  
"And even if he's not, we can surprise him," Ty reasoned.  
"You cannot surprise Gibbs." Ziva smiled.  
"What about coffee, I saw Gibbs drinking some earlier, we could get him some." Alex suggested.  
"And we could grab a Caff-Pow for Abby," Ty suggested. "I saw her with one earlier."  
"Why don't we get McNerd a Nutter Butter?" Tony suggested, being kind to McGee for once.  
"Stop making me hungry! Let us go already!" Alex laughed.  
"We can get everyone what they need." Ziva smiled, snatching the keys up from Tony's hand. "Thanks for the keys, Tony."  
"Zee-vah!" Tony frowned.  
"Tony, think about it this way; it will be over quickly," Ty pointed out, returning from the room with Tony and Ziva's stuff. "Let's roll."


	8. Chapter 8

"Never...again," Tony panted, stepping shakily from the car. "Ty, how did you not spill the coffee?"  
"Skill, Pizza Boy. Skill," Ty grinned, handing said beverage off to Tony and grabbing most of the bags. "Now go open the door."  
"Quit it, Whiny." Alex chastised.  
"I cannot take anymore of your whining, Tony. Grow up!" Ziva exclaimed.  
"You're whining about me whining. You grow up!" Tony muttered, opening the door for the girls.  
"No, Ziva is tired of your complaining, and so am I. You are worse than a two-year old." Alex sighed.  
"That's a funny place to put a body," Ty mused, looking up the stairwell.  
"What?!"  
"Excuse me?"  
Ty rolled her eyes. "There's no dead body. Can't you people take a joke? I was debating between body and piano."  
"We are federal agents. When you say dead body, our minds turn to murder." Ziva explained, currently annoyed with Ty.  
Ty sighed exasperatedly. "As I was saying, that's a funny place to put a piano."  
"I need a vacation." Alex rubbed her head, feeling a migraine coming on.  
"You are on vacation," Ty raised an eyebrow, "But you may be sick of my sense of humor."  
"I need a vacation from this vacation, somewhere tropical; Brazil, maybe. Without you," Alex snapped.  
"Shutting up now," Ty whispered, running up the stairs.  
"Aren't they quite the pair?" Tony asked, shaking his head.  
"I am still mad at you; they will get better."  
"Yeah. It's been a long couple of days for them," Tony nodded. "Let's go catch up."  
"Why were you two talking as if I was not here?" Alex asked, confused.  
Tony winced,"I forgot you were still with us?"  
Alex stared at him.  
"I know, I know, bad excuse," he shrugged, then gestured through the door. "Come on, let's go catch Ty before she finds a real dead body."  
"I would not put it past her." Alex reasoned.  
"Neither would I. In fact, I would not put it so lightly," Ziva shook her head, starting for the stairs.  
Tony nodded, closing the doors and bringing up the rear.

"Thanks, Ty," Gibbs sipped his coffee.  
"No problem, Gibbs." Ty shrugged, throwing the bags on Tony's desk.  
Gibbs looked over her shoulder. "Where are the others?"  
"Talking about my trip to Brazil when this is over." Alex sighed, putting her bag down. "McGee, a Nutter Butter."  
"Toda, Alex." Thanks.  
"Oh yeah, here's a Caff-Pow for Abby, wherever she-" Ty began.  
"Oh my God, I love you!" Abby grabbed the drink out of her hand.  
"And Jasmine tea with honey for me." Alex drank from her cup. "Great as always. Now I need to finish my other report."  
Ty froze. "Report? Oh, yeah, forget about that. Zoe might kill me!"  
"I finished that one already. I meant the one I have on the human skeleton. For my biology class."  
"I already finished the one on the equine skeleton. Good news, I have," Ty glanced at the clock, "Twenty minutes to finish the history of the polo pony thing. Nobody come anywhere near me!" Ty slid down the side of Tony's desk, pulled out her laptop, plugged in her earbuds, and started typing like a possessed person.  
"Does she always do that?" Tony asked.  
"She always forgets the due dates. I usually say something about finishing something, then she does that." Alex motioned to Ty with her hand. "I do not understand, I do my projects the day they are due, she procrastinates."  
"I don't procrastinate, I get busy," Ty shot back, still typing at the speed of light.  
"Then do tell, why you waited until twenty minutes before the deadline?" Alex asked.  
Ty paused for a second, then resumed typing. "I got really busy."  
"Busy how, like a three day movie marathon before we left? Or re-read the history of the Cold War for fun? You simply put it off." Alex crossed her arms over her chest.  
"Three day movie marathon was very important! And the history of the Cold War was sort of part of my history class!" Ty replied.  
"How was a movie marathon important? That day I finished three reports, and my end of the year finals essay for world languages."  
"I finished my geometry and history homework first. And I've only got two end of the year finals left!"  
"I have none! I use my time wisely." Alex frowned at Ty. "I need a break. I am going to the conference room. NO ONE BOTHER ME!" Alex exclaimed grabbing her stuff and leaving.  
"You know what? Fine!" Ty growled, grabbing her stuff and stalking to the elevator.  
"Wow," Gibbs observed, sipping his coffee.  
"Yeah. They've been going at it all morning." Tony nodded.  
"And you two did nothing to help." Ziva sighed. "I am going to talk to Alex, someone take Ty."  
"I'll go, boss," McGee volunteered.  
"Go." Gibbs pointed.

Alex rubbed her temples. _Yep, definitely a migraine._ Alex closed the conference room door behind her. Walking to the opposite side of the door she sat by the window, which's shades were promptly pulled closed. _I need a vacation, definitely Brazil, the beach maybe, or the city and clubs._ Alex winced as her head started pounding. "Ani hole." _I feel sick. Stop, work through the pain. Push it aside. What would Abba say about how weak I am becoming? I would be disciplined harshly, and painfully_. Alex pulled out her laptop, pulling up pictures from her childhood. Here is one with Ziva. The photo was of Alex and Aya, with Ziva and Tali, Ziva's sister who was killed in the same bomb blast as Aya. I should give Ziva a copy. Then someone knocked on the door. "Eyfo?" _What_? Alex asked.  
"Hey, it is me." Ziva said through the door. Alex got up, unlocked the door and let Ziva in. "Are you okay?"  
"Ken, lo. Ani hole." _Yes, no, I feel sick._ Alex sighed defeated. Walking back to her chair and pulling her knees to her chest. "Ani mitgaga Israel." I miss.  
"I do also, a lot of the time." Ziva sighed sitting on one leg in the chair next to Alex's. "What do you do to relax?"  
"Well, sometimes I will train."  
"I will ask again. What do you do to relax?"  
"I listen to music, play music, compose music. I really like music." Alex explained opening Garage Band, on her laptop. Going to the projects screen, scrolling all the way down to the bottom to show Ziva how many she had composed. "Some are just music, others are just me singing, or my covers of a song, then there are a lot of original songs."  
"Wow, what instruments do you play?"  
"Piano, acoustic and electric guitar, the drums. More but I play those best. Could you keep it between us? No one else knows that I do this."  
"Ken, I will keep your secret." _Yes_. Ziva smiled. "Feel better?"  
"A little. Oh, I wanted to show you this." Alex switched screens, and showed Ziva with both of them and their sisters.  
"Can you email me this?" Ziva whispered. In the photo, Alex was sitting on Ziva's shoulders, Aya was hugging Tali from behind, they were in the olive orchard on their shared property.  
"Absolutely. This just popped up when I was looking my pictures. I really do not understand how I could have forgotten you."  
"You were little, then I was with Mossad full-time and was hardly home." Ziva explained, her eyes never leaving the picture. "You want to play something, it may help you feel better?"  
"Maybe, but what to play? So many choices. I do like my cover of Andy Grammer's Keep Your Head Up. It usually gets me to a good place." Alex handed Ziva a pair of headphones, then put one on herself, playing the song.  
"You have a lovely voice." Ziva took off the headphones.  
"Toda. Music is my escape, and reading." Alex closed Garage Band.  
"Do you want to go back?"  
"Might as well." Alex sighed.


	9. Chapter 9

McGee returned a minute later, rubbing his arm "Uh, boss, Tony should go."  
Tony shook his head, walking toward the elevator. He also came back, frowning. "McGee, where was she?"  
"In the elevator."  
"Yeah, well she's not there now!"  
"Didja look, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.  
"Yeah, boss!"  
Gibbs sighed. "Stay here in case she comes back. Which I doubt." He stalked off to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. In a few seconds, the doors opened again. He walked toward the service stairs in the corner and jogged up them. The door to the roof was unlocked, a bent paperclip on the floor. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile as he pushed the door open. He walked onto the roof.  
Ty was on the far side of the roof near the edge. Her arms had pulled her knees to her chest, and her chin rested on her knees. Her laptop was at his feet. He slowly walked toward her and sat down next to her. "Nice view, isn't it?" Ty glanced at him and didn't say anything. "Something bugging you, Tyler?" Gibbs asked.  
Ty snorted. "You could say that."  
Gibbs turned toward her. "Why don't you tell me about it."  
She laughed bitterly. "Just like I did when I was seven?" She paused, knowing he wouldn't answer. "You knew how hard it would hit Zack."  
"Yeah, I did." He didn't blink.  
"So why did you let me tell him?"  
"Because I thought you could." Gibbs stated simply.  
Ty fell silent. Her voice was shaky when she spoke again. "Did you know...how close I was to those two? We were...closer than family. I went to Culver the year I lost my mom...Zack and Jack were like brothers to me..." Gibbs put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm hurting just as much as Zack is," she realized. "Which is why it was so hard, which is why you had me do it in the first place." Ty shook her head bitterly.  
"Come on, Ty," Gibbs stood, offering her his hand. Ty looked up at him. "Ty."  
Ty hardened her gaze. "Do you ever hate yourself? For screwing up so bad, and watching someone else pay the consequences?"  
Gibbs looked down at her. "Sometimes." Ty took his hand, and they started walking back towards the stairs.  
Ty grabbed her laptop and clicked send. "Three minutes to spare," she smiled sadly. He slipped an arm around her shoulders as he closed the door.

"What is up with my computer!?" Tony demanded as Ty and Gibbs walked back in. Ty shook her head and jogged over.  
"Do you ever listen to McGee?" she asked.  
Tony looked at her as Alex and Ziva walked in. "What do you think?"  
"That you don't," Ty shot back, sliding next to Tony in his chair. "Move over."  
"Ziva? Does this not look familiar?" Alex smirked, seeing Ty and Tony in close proximity.  
"Yes, like this morning when we woke up to find them both sleeping on the couch. They are so cute," Ziva smiled.  
Gibbs and McGee looked at the two. "Tony?"  
Ty rested her head on the keyboard. "Looong story," she moaned.  
"But, I would love to tell it." Alex laughed.  
"Please don't. I'm sure you remember several things differently," Tony sighed.  
"What are you talking about?" Jenny asked, following Abby into the bullpen. Tony's head thumped his desk.  
"Tony and Ty's long night on the couch together." Alex explained. "That I am willing to tell."  
"Please do," Ducky frowned.  
"What'd you do, wire the intercom?" Ty demanded, running a hand through her hair.  
"Apparently." Ziva looked to the crowd that had gathered.  
"Ty, spare paper bag?" Tony pleaded.  
"Did I miss something? Give me the info!" Abby exclaimed.  
"Well la-" Ty put her hand over Alex's mouth.  
"Ow! Hey!" Ty recoiled, looking at the bite mark Alex gave her.  
"That is what you get, when you cover my mouth."  
"It was your fault!" Ty shot back, referring to the couch incident.  
"You should know that it was a reflex. Ask Ziva. We were trained to do that, and it is a good means of protection." Alex shot back.  
"Yeah, but you just went back to sleep!"  
"So? No sleep, no energy. Without energy, you get your ass handed to you in training."  
"I know! I needed to sleep too! Where else was I supposed to go?" Ty demanded.  
"The floor." Alex shrugged.  
"And have you step on my face again?" Ty snorted.  
"It is not my fault you fell asleep outside my door. I should lock you in your room at night." Alex decided.  
"Don't blame me for sleepwalking!" Ty barked. "And I'd just pick the lock in my sleep, anyway."  
"I lock the door from the outside."  
"Your point is?"  
"You cannot unlock a door, from being locked inside."  
"You use a chisel and a screwdriver. And a paper clip," Ty added.  
"Just tell us what happened," Gibbs sighed. Ty stretched out on the floor and buried her head as Alex smirked triumphantly.  
"Okay, last night Ty woke Ziva and me up, and we threatened her with a gun and knife. When we woke up in the morning, Ty and Tony were snuggled up nice and cozy together on the couch." Alex's smile got wider as the story progressed.  
"You did what, DiNozzo?" Gibbs tilted his head.  
Ty sighed. "I woke up and got out of bed. I went back in, and those two tried to kill me. Then they rolled back over, and I had to bunk with Tony. They woke up before we did, or I probably would have rolled off. Tony had nothing to do with it."  
"Okay, back on track please." Jenny smiled.  
Tony, Ziva, Alex, and Ty looked at each other, confused. "What were we talking about?"  
"Tony's computer issue." McGee stated, fixing the problem.  
Ty sat back up, shoved Tony over, and tapped the mouse twice. "Yeah, well, I fixed that. Now what?"  
"We investigate, that's what we do." Gibbs smiled. "McGee, DiNozzo, check out Smith's house. Ziver, stay here run background checks, put a bolo on his car. Talk to his CO, find out about him. I'm gonna go to MTAC, to talk to his CO overseas." Everyone set out on their tasks, leaving the girls with nothing to do.  
"What about Alex and me?" Ty frowned, already knowing the answer.  
"I am going down to see Abby." Alex walked to the elevator, pressing the button for the lab.  
Ty turned in a circle and sighed. "Great." She walked toward the elevator, then turned back and sat down on Tony's desk, wiping the papers onto his chair. Ty put in her Skull Candy earbuds, turned the volume up, selected the Charged playlist, and put it on shuffle.  
She mentally counted out the beat as Manafest's No Plan B started to play out, then her hands moved into action as she manipulated the Batman coffee cup in front of her. Clap clap triple pat clap up down. Clap grab side down end slap set. Gibbs shook his head and headed toward the Director as Jenny beckoned over her shoulder.

As Alex stepped off the metal cart her ears were graced with the sound of heavy metal music playing. "Shalom Abby, is this Brain Matter?"  
"Hey, Alex." Abby turned down the music. "Yeah, how'd ya know?"  
"I listen to a lot of different music genres. Brain Matter is my favorite metal band. Although, I prefer other genres more."  
"Wow, I didn't peg you for a music fan. More of a MMA fan." Abby smiled nervously.  
"I do like MMA, but I really like music. I had Abba and Ima get a laptop; great for music and a lot of storage space. My iTunes library is music only, full from rock to country." Alex explained.  
"Ok, Brain Matter or Plastic Death, which is better?"  
"Well, Plastic Death has the best cover art. But Brain Matter's song, Double Tap to the Heart, is definitely the best." Alex decided.  
"I would have to agree. We worked a case where our bullet matched the cover of Plastic Death exactly."  
"Wow, that is like one, in a million." Alex calculated, approximately.  
"I know, right? So, you said you like music. Do you sing?"  
"Yes, I do instrumental, original, and covers of songs." Alex pulled out her laptop, going into Garageband. "This is a Spanish lullaby, called, A La Nanita Nana, or Let's Sing a Little Lullaby. It is really a duet, but either no one is fluent enough, or they cannot sing. This is my friend Amara, and me. The English translation of the song does not sound as pretty.  
A la nanita nana nanita ella, nanita ella  
Mi nina tiene sueno bendito sea,bendito sea

A la nanita nana nanita ella, nanita ella  
Mi nina tiene sueno bendito sea,bendito sea

Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora  
Ruisenor que en la selva  
Cantando y llora  
Calla mientras la cuna se balansea  
A la nanita nana nanita ella  
A la nanita nana nanita ella  
Nanita ella  
Mi nina tiene sueno bendito  
Sea, bendito sea  
Fuentecita que carre clara y sonora  
Ruisenor que en la selva  
Cantando y llora  
Calla mientras la cuna se balansea  
A la nanita nana nanita ella  
That was me on the guitar." Alex shut off the song, so another wouldn't play.  
"Wow, you're really good."  
"Thanks, I try. I will see you later, I am going back up it the bullpen."  
"Bye."

"How is she going that fast and not getting out of sync?" Tony whispered to McGee in the bullpen.  
"I have no clue," McGee replied. They returned their attention to Ty as she adapted her speed to Bring Me Back to Life. She hadn't missed a beat so far. Alex walked out of the elevator.  
"You know she's using that Batman coffee cup from your desk, right?" McGee asked.  
Tony blinked. "She what?"  
"She missed a part." Alex stated, seeing Ty's pattern was missing a part. "She did not put in the top to hand, then bottom to hand. Oh, and Tony?" Alex put her hand on his shoulder. "I advise you not to take the cup from Ty, unless you want to end up with a broken bone or dead."  
"But that's my Batman cup!" Tony protested, gesturing weakly at Ty.  
"It will also be your broken neck," Alex shrugged.  
"She's got a point, man. And I'm not missing anything, Alex. I'm trying a new pattern." Ty explained, still not missing anything.  
"I am just saying, it is not the pattern I made up." Alex clarified.  
"I know. It's my pattern." Ty nodded.  
Tony broke out of Alex's grip and reached for the Batman cup. Alex groaned. "Tony!"  
Ty roundhoused Tony in the face and resumed her rhythm, still keeping the beat.  
"I told you so." Alex smirked. "I told you so." She bent down and hauled Tony up by his hand. I feel another migraine coming on. Alex went and sat on the floor behind Ziva's desk, leaning up against the office divider.  
"I should've listened." He grumbled straightening his suit.  
"Ma shlomex?" _How are you?_ Ziva whispered to Alex.  
_"Ani hole."_ I feel sick. Alex held her head.  
"Do you still get those terrible migraines like when you were younger?" Ziva asked, turned around facing her computer, so not to draw attention to their conversation.  
"Ken, parfois." _Yes, sometimes._ Alex responded, not noticing her switch from Hebrew to French. "Mucho recientemente." _A lot recently._ Alex added, her head was pounding, and she could not help that she was switching in and out of languages.  
"Avez-vous besoin d'arrêter?" _Do you need to lay down? _  
"No, Beidh mé go breá." _I will be fine. Alex explained in Irish._  
"Hey Ziva, Alex, it's not nice to talk in other languages when no one else can understand what you are saying." Tony whined, feeling left out, on what could possibly be gossip.  
"Shut it, Whiny." Alex snapped, her head hurt too much to deal with other people's emotions right now.  
"Tony, shut up." Ty advised quietly, turning off the music and returning his cup. She glanced at Alex, concerned. "Some of us can understand. You okay?" No wonder she snapped at me earlier. God, I feel stupid. I should have known.  
"Beidh mé go breá._" I will be fine. _Alex lied. The others gave her odd looks. "I will be fine." She ground out. This hurts worse than all of the last ones combined. Why though? The flashback, no I have had those before. Am I repressing some memory or something? What could be the problem?  
Ty raised an eyebrow, seeing right through Alex. "Come on, let's go for a walk," she offered, standing on the desk and hopping down.  
"N-no thanks. I am good." Alex stuttered, the pain increasing. I do not trust my ability to walk, right now.  
"Ty?" Ziva asked, frowning.  
Ty shook her head, uncertain. "Can you get her to the conference room?"  
Ziva nodded and guided Alex away from the others, despite her weak protest.  
Tony and McGee looked at Ty. "What's up with-"  
Ty's look cut McGee off like a knife. "Get Gibbs. And Ducky." She turned and sprinted toward the conference room.  
"I am f-fine." Alex wheezed, "Let me go." Ziva let Alex go and she dropped to the floor. "I did not mean literally!" Alex struggled to stand up, but could only manage a crouch. Oh, my head. Why are there two-no-three Zivas? "Shalom, Zivas." Alex sighed, slipping into darkness.  
"Shit!" Ty swore, closing the door. She and Ziva carried Alex onto the table.  
"Where are Gibbs and Ducky?" Ziva demanded.  
"Right here." Gibbs threw open the door, Ducky in tow.  
"What seems to be the problem?" Ducky asked, looking over Alex.  
"She had a very bad migraine that caused her loss of mobility and then she passed out." Ziva explained.  
"Hmm, interesting. I need you to leave." Ducky commanded, opening his doctor's bag.  
"What? No way. I'm not leaving her," Ty growled, standing in a fighting stance.  
"I am a doctor, young lady, and you will respect that Alexandra may want privacy, when it comes to her medical well being." Ducky glared at Ty.  
Ty glared back, and her fingers started twitching. Ziva and Gibbs led her out, but didn't stop her from pressing her ear to the door.  
"Now, my dear, what seems to be the problem?" Ducky mused aloud, taking all standard requirements, like blood pressure, and checking her breathing. Alex's shirt had ridden up a bit and exposed an angry infected looking scar. "Oh, my. This isn't good." Ducky pulled her shirt up a little more and saw that the scar started at her navel and traveled around to her mid back. "Infection, is what you've got my dear, it looks to be that it started a few days ago, when you reopened the wound." Ducky said pulling out bandages and a disinfecting salve. "What could have you done to open it again?"  
Ty burst through the door, surprising Gibbs and Ziva. "It happened four days ago, when we went home right before the field trip to D.C. It's the only time I haven't been with her, so it had to have happened then."  
All eyes turned to Ziva asking the silent question."I doubt it was with Mossad training, she was not home long enough."  
"Then the only option is that it happened at home." Gibbs deducted.  
"By her parents." Ducky sighed.  
"No, by Abba." Alex winced, sitting up on the table, pulling her shirt down. "He did it, to me." Alex looked anywhere but towards the group. I am weak, I should not have passed out. The pain was not that bad.  
"Why?" Gibbs was the only one brave enough to speak.  
"It was the first time I saw him since after it happened. After I was captured, and, and failed him. So I was punished as a failure would be. Whipped, waterboarded, starved, and beaten." Everyone cringed hearing Alex's explanation.  
Ty ran a hand through her hair and bit her fist, closing her eyes.  
"And you didn't notice any of this? When you got to D.C.?" Gibbs turned on Ty.  
Ty shook her head. "I asked; said she was sore from soccer practice. I'm such a dick."  
"Fútból." Alex corrected, a bit of herself coming back. "I have had worse."  
Ty snorted. "That's why I should have noticed. God...what the hell is wrong with me?" Why's she being punished for being stronger than me?  
"Um, what now?" Alex asked hesitantly. Hopefully not a trip to the hospital, never been there before.  
"Now I fix you up." Ducky smiled.  
"I'm gone," Ty walked out the door without assistance. Gibbs and Ziva following.  
"Sit still. I will work fast, alright, but it will hurt."  
"Okay." Alex didn't even flinch when she felt the burn of the disinfect touched her skin.  
"You may be sore."  
Alex stood and did a backbend. "I am fine."  
"Let's go find Ty," Ducky suggested. "You have a very good friend, if a bit unusual. Isn't it strange that you two would find each other and become friends?" Ducky offered his arm.  
"We were forced roommates; you become friends to keep your sanity." Alex smiled and took Ducky's arm and they walked to the bullpen.


	10. Chapter 10

"That reminds me of a time when I was a young lad-"

"Duck, so nice of you to bring her back." Gibbs butted in.

"Perhaps, another time?" Alex nodded.

"You feel better?" Tony asked.

"A little," Alex shrugged. "You deserved that kick in the face, by the way."

Gibbs looked at Tony. "She kicked you in the face?"

"Ty did, not me." Alex clarified. "I am going to get a Gatorade."

"Ziver, go with her."

"I do not need a babystander."

"Sitter." Gibbs corrected.

"Fine." Alex and Ziva walked out, heading to the break area.

Gibbs looked at Tony and McGee. "Did Ty really kick you in the face?"

Tony nodded. "She was doing the cup thingy with my Batman coffee mug. I tried to take it back."

"Ty did a roundhouse kick. Never missed a beat," McGee added.

Gibbs smiled wryly. "That's my girl."

"She seems to have a thing for harming Tony, does she not? Very stubborn, too," Ducky shook his head.

"DiNozzo, isn't a genius, and doesn't listen to warnings. He gets what he deserves."

Alex and Ziva walked back into the bullpen. "I remember that! Then Aya and Tali ran around the orchard, because they lost the bet." Alex laughed.

"I know, right. I cannot believe, you a six year old, beat Tali, an eleven year old, at climbing the tallest olive tree."

"Well, you did boost me up there. I could not reach on my own." I cannot believe that they are both gone.

"Traveling down memory lane, ladies?" Tony smirked.

As Alex and Ziva walked by him they both hit him in the shoulder. "None of your business!"

Alex looked around. "Where's Ty?"

Gibbs tilted his head. "Elevator or roof. Take your pick."

"Hmm, take the elevator to the roof, and find her there." Alex nodded. "And no babysitter this time."

Alex walked to the roof door, seeing that it had been picked some time ago, she opened the door, cautiously as always. Looking first left then right she spotted Ty on the south side of the roof, looking at the Washington monument. "Hey,"

Ty didn't look up. "Hey."

"What are you thinking about?" Alex sat down a few feet to the right of Ty, not looking in her direction, yet.

"A lot of things." Ty closed her eyes. "You?"

"I noticed you were missing and went to find you." Alex avoided, the real question.

Ty snorted. "Guess I'd better find a new hiding place, then, huh?"

"That or do not have a reason to hide." Alex shifted, getting more comfortable.

"You know I think best when I'm on my own or with Aláinn," Ty replied.

"Yes, so I can go if you want. Or stay, it does not matter." Alex shrugged.

"Stay. Sorry I screwed up...you know, earlier."

"Earlier today, or days ago?" Alex leaned back on her hands.

"In the conference room. Today."

"You did nothing wrong. You chose to believe my lie, because you knew, no matter what, I would not have told you about what happened. It is just the type of person I am." Alex explained.

"Still." Ty shook her head. "I've been screwing up a lot the past couple days."

"How so?"

"I lost it when I saw Tony pull out his gun, I almost didn't snap out of it. I never said anything when you got your migraine, I almost lost it when I told Zack...something's wrong with me."

Alex sighed. "There is something is wrong with all of us. Some are better at hiding it than others. Me? I get migraines, flashbacks, and..." Alex looked away an embarrassed look upon her face. "Nightmares, but I do my all to try to not let them bother me."

"You never show it in ways that other people can see, though." Ty shook her head. "One more thing happens today, I'm going to be totally thrown."

"People see it, they just do not realize it. You noticed I was angry but did not know the cause."

Ty shrugged. "Yeah. Wonder what happens next," she said, meaning the case.

"They get a lead, that may or may not go somewhere."

"Guess so. How long you think they'll have us stick around?"

"Until they know we will be 'safe' without them."

"Technically, we're safe now," Ty pointed out wryly.

"I meant safe." Alex stressed the word.

"Oh. So until they solve the case, because they really need us to help and don't want to admit it?" Ty laughed.

"Along those lines." Alex shrugged.

Ty tilted her head. "Do you think they'll let me go see Sam and Hawk? Probably not..."

"Hawk is your horse's brother, yes?" Alex asked.

Ty nodded. "Mmhmm. The one I learned to ride on."

"I just want a piano, my fingers need the workout." Alex mimicked playing a piano.

"Sam's sister Lilia has a Baby Grand," Ty reminded her.

"How long to get there?"

"Uh, eighteen minutes? Give or take two for the traffic," Ty added.

"I can run a five minute mile without pushing, about a four with pushing..." Alex went silent doing the math.

"I can do the same...about twenty-seven minutes?" Ty figured.

"Twenty-six and thirty five, no, six seconds, but yes close enough."

"If we go, we should go now. Fire escape?" Ty gestured.

"You two are going nowhere." Gibbs stated from behind them.

"Grande, juste au moment où j'allais obtenir un piano." Great, just when I was going to get a piano. Alex sighed in French.

"Venir sur le dos de l'enclos des releveurs." Come on back to the bullpen, Gibbs commanded in French.

"Fine." Alex sighed, standing up and walking towards the door leaving Gibbs and Ty alone.

Neither Gibbs nor Tyler said anything for a moment. "Were you really going to run to that guy's house?" Gibbs asked.

Ty looked at him. "Yes."

"It's a good thing I found you, then."  
"You didn't find me; you knew where I've been all along," Ty argued. "At least I found a new hiding place." Damn, I wish I could've seen Hawk again. And Sam. I haven't seen her in forever. "Alright, let's go back to the bullpen before Tony gets hurt again."

Gibbs snorted. "About that; please try and not permanently damage him? Alright?"

Ty tilted her head. "I'll think about it. If you keep my cousin Sam in mind."

Gibbs shook his head and started toward the stairs. "Deal," he called over his shoulder.

After Alex had left Ty and Gibbs on the roof, she walked back to the bullpen to retrieve her laptop. Grabbing her headphones, she sat down behind Ziva's desk and opened up her email. A new one from Jesse, wonder what he has to say. Jesse was Alex's best friend from home, they both attended NCA. He also liked music; they took lessons together.

A,

How are you? Cannot wait until you get back from D.C. I found a picture I want you to see. Cannot wait to see you again. :) Layla Tov!

-J

The picture was of six year old Alex and Jesse, with their arms around each other's shoulders, at the beach. In the background she could make out, Aya, Ari, Aleph, Ziva and Tali in the water, in the midst of what seemed to be a splashing war. I wonder if Ziva remembers him?

Ty walked back in the bullpen, closely followed by Gibbs. "Hey Al-" Ty began, then shut up as she saw Alex staring off into space on her laptop. Okay, we'll ask about Sam's place later. Ty tiptoed around her and snuck up behind Tony, who was intently typing on his computer and totally oblivious. Grabbing an ice cube from the water sitting on the desk, Ty hooked one finger on the back of Tony's collar and whispered, "Bombs away!"

"YEEAGGHHH!"

Alex's head snapped up at the sudden noise. "What the?!"

"I was going do that," Ziva frowned. "Well, later."

"What was that for?" Tony demanded, clawing at his back.

Ty grinned. "For trying to take away the cup."

Tony arched his back as the ice slid farther down his shirt. "You kicked me in the face for that!"

"That was for trying to mess up my rhythm. Besides, I was bored," Ty shrugged.

"Ziva, do you remember Jesse?" Alex asked, showing Ziva the beach picture.

"Oh, yes. Only child right?"

"Yeah, he just sent me this. Look who is in the background." Alex passed her laptop.

"The splash war was boys on girls. They thought they had a chance." Ziva smiled.

"Care to share who this, Jesse is?" Tony asked making his way over to the pair.

"No one you know," Ty replied, 'Gibbs-slapping' him.

"Ty, come on. I just want to see," Tony protested.

"It is not your business, so let us keep it that way." Alex shut the program down.

"So Gibbs, can we talk about my cousin's place?" Ty asked hopefully.

Gibbs looked at her. "You just put an ice cube down my agent' shirt."

"It's relevant to the investigation," Ty offered.

Gibbs quirked an eyebrow. "How so?"

Ty reached for her laptop. "Because Sam's twin sister, Lilia, was going out with Jack. See?" She opened a picture with Jack, Sam, Lilia, Zack, and Ty.

Tony stared at the picture. "Which one's Sam?"

Ty raised an eyebrow. "The blond. She's like, twenty-five or something."

Tony turned to Gibbs. "I think we should go, boss."

"I am in." Alex said from her spot on the floor.

"I do not see the harm." Ziva shrugged.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Go fire up the Chargers." He tossed one set of keys to Ziva keeping one for himself. "Grab your stuff." He directed that at Alex and Ty.

"On it." Alex put all her stuff back in her bag. "Done."

Ty shoved her laptop in her backpack. "Let's roll."

Gibbs stopped Tony as he started for the elevator. "DiNozzo, you got a girlfriend right now?"

Tony avoided Gibbs's gaze. "No..."

Gibbs nodded and walked away. "I thought so."


	11. Chapter 11

"I call shotgun!" Alex exclaimed getting in the front next to Ziva.

"No way!" Tony grabbed her shoulder.

"If you want to keep that hand let me go." Alex hissed.

Tony frowned. "No way."

"Tony! If you want to keep that hand, let go now!" Ty shouted. Tony didn't move, and Ty lunged across to rip his hand from Alex's shoulder.

"But, I really wanted to break his hand." Alex frowned.

"I know, but I promised Gibbs I wouldn't let Tony be permanently broken," Ty explained.

"It would heal!"

"I know, but I promised. It's actually kind of funny. Tony's supposed to be protecting me, but I'm protecting him," Ty mused.

"Ha, ha, very funny." Tony dead panned.

"Actually, it is quite amusing," Ziva laughed, gunning the motor. Tony scrambled into the back seat beside Ty, and Alex smugly slid into the passenger seat.

"I win. Wow, that does not happen often."

Ty rolled her eyes at the back of Alex's seat. "Right."

"Games I win. Arguments, not so much. I have a way with actions, not words." Alex turned to face Ty.

"I guess I get that. I'm equally skilled in both, just not as much as you," Ty replied.

"It is like you handle a Beretta, me a Bravo." Alex shrugged.

"Yeah," Ty agreed.

"Okay, so radio?" Alex asked turning it on. "What station?"

"World."

"Classic rock?"

"Heavy metal?"

"Okay, since no one agrees. iPhone it is." Alex put her earbuds in turning off the radio.

"She's got a point, again," Ty snorted, pulling out her own phone and plugging in the earbuds.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other in the mirror. "Plaaayed," Tony observed.

"Change the station and die," Ziva informed him, flipping the radio to her station.

Tony slumped against the window. "This is gonna be a long car ride."

"Heard that." Ziva slowed on purpose.

"Okay, take this next left," Ty instructed Ziva, leaning towards the dash. Gravel crunched underneath the tires as first Ziva and then Gibbs turned onto the ranch house's driveway.

"Is this the place?" Ziva asked, putting the Charger in park.

"This is the place," Ty grinned, springing out of the door. "I texted Sam, so she knows we're coming," she called over her shoulder, running up to the door. Car doors slammed as the other four got out, and Ty knocked on the door. It swung open.

"Tyler!" A tall blond female with well-muscled arms grinned, hugging her cousin.

"Hey Sam! How are you and Lilia and Uncle Luc and Hawk and Todd?" Ty smiled, holding her older cousin at arms length.

"We're all doing just fine. I take it these are your friends?" Sam asked, looking over Ty's shoulder. "Hey Alex!" Ty had brought Alex to Sam's because she and Alex had arrived in D.C. a day early.

"Shalom, Sam." Alex waved, throwing her bag over her shoulder, letting Ty introduce the agents.

"Sam, this is Tony DiNozzo," Ty grinned.

"Hey," Tony smiled charmingly.

Ty elbowed him before adding, "And this is Ziva David."

"Hello." Ziva shook Sam's hand.

"And this is Jethro Gibbs. Well, just Gibbs," Ty corrected herself as Gibbs shook Sam's hand.

"It's nice to meet all of you. Why don't you come in?" Sam gestured, closing the door as everyone filed inside. "I'm sorry, Ty wasn't real clear when she sent me that message, so I have to ask, why are you here?"

Ziva and Tony looked to Gibbs for permission, and he nodded. "The girls are in protective custody. So we are here to protect them." Ziva explained.

Sam paused for a second, then shook her head. "I know I should be surprised, but I'm not. They can stay here," she offered. "It's a big house, and we've got plenty of room."

"Gibbs?" Ty asked hopefully.

"Under one condition, both Tony and Ziva have to stay." Gibbs decided.

Sam smiled. "That'd be fine. My sister Lilia's away at a tack show, but Ty's uncle should be back from the feed shop in a few hours. Do you two need to go pick anything up? I can watch the girls until you get back," Sam told Ziva and Tony.

"We'll go get everything from the hotel, Boss?" Tony looked to Gibbs.

"Go and get back. Let Ziva drive."

Tony almost wilted. "Yes, Boss. Back in a minute."

Ty laughed softly as Tony and Ziva left. She looked at Sam. "Poor guy's having a rough day, you know?"

"And you're not helping," Gibbs reminded her.

Ty grinned. "I know."

"Well, now what?" Alex asked because they were all just standing in the living room. "Lunch maybe?" Her stomach grumbled.

"Sure. I've got some matzo ball soup on the stove and baby backs on the grill," Sam announced, walking toward the kitchen.

"Matzo ball soup?" Alex licked her lips.

Ty nodded, following her cousin. "Yup. Sam had an Israeli exchange student, now she loves matzo balls. They're not bad, but I'm gonna check out those baby backs, too."

"Well, looks like you pleased both of them." Gibbs chuckled.

Sam smiled over her shoulder, adding something to the pot on the stove. "Thanks. I do my best."

"I'll take care of those baby backs," Ty offered, not waiting for an answer to go watch the grill.

Alex watched her flip the ribs on the grill and shook her head. "You are the one who taught her to cook, yes?"

"That's right. Why?" Sam asked.

"Because she is always talking about a Western Skillet, and there is a picture of that dish on the cabinet over there." Alex pointed.

"She does love that skillet," Sam recalled fondly. "I'll probably make it tomorrow, along with Shakshuka."

"Hmm, that will be delicious." Alex smiled. "I cannot wait."

"Shakshuka?" Gibbs asked. "Isn't that-"

"Spiced eggs, with a spicy tomato sauce. It is actually a North African dish. It is considered seasonal, and right now it is in season, Gibbs." Alex explained.

"Good to know," Gibbs nodded slowly.

"Ribs are done!" Ty announced, bringing the platter into the kitchen. "Drink lots of milk after you eat Shakshuka. It's good, and spicy," Ty explained to Gibbs.

"Did I just hear the word, Shakshuka?" Ziva asked, bags in hand.

"I heard ribs!" Tony appeared with bags also.

"I must compliment both of you on your ability to monitor your surroundings," Ty commented dryly.

Tony made a face at Ty and hit her with her duffel bag.

Ty hooked her left foot under his and swept it out from under him. He crumpled like a sack of flour. She turned to Sam. "Ignore him. He'll compose himself in a minute."

"Yes, you did hear we will be having Shakshuka, for breakfast." Alex smiled.

"Good, cannot wait." Ziva handed Alex her bag.

Ty looked at the two agents. "I'm not sharing the couch with him again. Where are we sleeping?"

Sam thought for a minute. "If you want, you all can have separate rooms. It's a big house."

"The-my agents need to be close to the girls at all times." Gibbs added.

"Ooh! I know! I can sleep in the loft by the stairs, and Tony can sleep in the twin nextdoor, and Alex can sleep in the loft downstairs, and Ziva can sleep in the twin next to that one!" Ty decided, running through her mental map.

"Good." Gibbs nodded.

"Works for me." Alex shrugged.

"Okay." Ziva picked up her bag.

"Twin? Fine." Tony sighed.

"Get over it, Pizza Boy," Ty elbowed him. "After lunch, I'm taking Hawk out. Alex, you wanna come? You can take Anmar."

"Thank you, but I have a job that...I have been putting off." Alex held up her laptop. I have an email from Abba to reply to.

"That's cool. I can take Anmar out later," Ty shrugged. "Maybe you can go for a ride later.

"Anmar...does that mean something?" Tony asked.

"Anmar means leopard. She's a buckskin Arabian, three years," Sam replied. "Now let's eat!"

"Great, I am hungry." Alex smiled. I do not want to look at that email, not yet.

"Those are the best ribs I've ever had!" Tony exclaimed.

Ty grinned smugly. "That's because Sam and I made that barbecue sauce ourselves."

Alex walked to 'her room' and pulled out her laptop pulling up her email. No new mail except Abba's. Might as well get to it. Alex clicked on the email and it opened.

Motek,

It seems I was a bit too harsh when it came to your punishment. I feel conflicted, so I put a $200 dollar iTunes card on your account.

Shalom, Abba.

Same as always; trying to buy love and forgiveness with gifts.

Abba,

Toda. I will put it to good use.

Shalom, Alexandra

Good, now that is out of the way. I am not surprised, he did not ask how I was. I will just listen to some music. Alex put her earbuds in and played Don't You Worry by Swedish House Mafia, she could connect to the song in a lot of ways. It is like it tells my story. I used to look up to Abba. He did tell me not to worry, that he would protect me. I used to be the favorite, until training started. Alex shook her head sadly.

Ty headed out to the paddock. Tony and Gibbs followed her. She let out a long, low whistle, and an answering whinny split the air. A bronze bay stallion cantered into sight, his pale blue eyes focused on Ty. Grinning, Ty hopped the fence and ran to him.

Just before they collided, Hawk pulled up and pawed the air. Ty slipped around and pulled herself on using his mane. Letting out a whoop, she clung to him as they cantered toward the far side. She pulled him into a sliding turn, and dirt flew up.

As they turned again, Ty steadied herself and moved into a crouch, then stood up, using his mane to balance. Right as they approached the two agents, Ty sprung off Hawk's back. Tony yelled...and Ty landed on the fence, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hawk here knows every trick in the book. I gotta show Alex what I can do with Anmar. Come on, let's go get her.


End file.
